Looking to buy a car? Things To Avoid

May 11, 2018

Vehicle selling frauds perpetrators are getting every day more active, meaning everyone is in danger. If you are looking to buy a car, then certainly you want to avoid losing your money for nothing or giving away money to a culprit.

To help you with that, today I decided to turn the focus especially on this fraudulent actions happening, how they work and the ways to avoid it. Let’s deep in!

What Is Their Bait They Use

There are various of reasons they use to in their description to why they are selling their car, each of them with the only purpose to look as real as possible. However, their top and most infamous reasons they pretend to be selling a vehicle are as below.

The seller is shipping house or is joining the military forces

They claim they got divorced and the vehicle came by a divorce settlements

The vehicle was a possession of a family member who has passed away recently

How Does Online Vehicle Sale Fraud Work?

The scam artists are usually pretty creative. But wrongly though. To cheat and steal.

This scheme includes the seller pretending partnership with a company with well-known reputation, like EBay in many cases, appearing all legal to the point they provide a free-toll number.

One of the ways how to recognize a Vehicle Sale Fraud

The reason they work through EBay in most cases, is they want to appear trustworthy, and at the same time to receive their payment securely. In case they are contacted regarding the vehicle, which is basically just a picture followed by description but non-existent, they send more images from the vehicle they pretend to be selling and even offer “discount” in the process.

They demand the buyer to buy prepaid gifts in the respective company they are connected with, so they can send to them safe and securely. After they receive the payment through prepaid gifts, they stop replying to phone messages, mails or phone calls. The buyer ends up losing money, that much probably will never see again.

Who is Targeted

There is know exception. Everyone can be a target and none is safe. Any age, from any state or country. They can happen at any time, anywhere.

Ways To Avoid Online Vehicle Sale Fraud

Certainly remaining calm and not to leave feelings rule you over, is one of the best advises in cases like this. Let’s have a look at some of the most effective ways when facing a vehicle sale fraud. How to recognize and how to handle.

Most of them offer unreal price, and that’s how they are – unreal deal.

Do close research on the internet on the contact information they provide – if they are true or just assuming. This includes: Seller’s real name, contact details, company details and their privacy policy, rules and regulations.

Demand the vehicle’s VIN or license plate and the registration detailed info.

Most of the scam artists use a forced or over-official words to appear as real as possible, and also most probably some grammar mistakes OR a lot of them. If you find something suspicious, don’t hesitate to contact them directly.

Critical: Do not agree an online dealing, especially on vehicles if they seller doesn’t accept to meet in-person or explore the vehicle physically by yourself.

Official Warning On Online Vehicle Sale Fraud

There have been a lot of reports lately on vehicle selling frauds, especially in the United States, and this didn’t go unnoticeable by the US Task Force, who provided an official statement and warning for the public.

Even though the statement below was made recently from Task Officer in Oklahoma City, it remains the same and is recommended for everyone to follow.
It reads as below.

Oklahoma City’s Task Force Officer Official Statement

Conclusion

Let me repeat, that it is critical to know make a hurried decision on purchasing a vehicle online, not before you meet in-person or explore the vehicle yourself on physical stance.

If there is any other way or kind of scam you have fallen prey of in the past, I encourage you to report it here or share it in the comment section below, to help others avoid what you have been through. Together we are stronger, towards a safer internet free of scams.

Hekuran Gashi, 24 years old - born and currently living in Kosovo. Spent last 3 years living and working in Dubai- amazing people, awesome experience. I love to write and to help people with my informative posts, at the same time.